Garment having restricted stretch



R. L. BLAIR Aug. 29, 1967 GARMENT HAVING RESTRICTED STRETCH Filed March 12, 1964 INVENTOR.

RONA L D L BLAH? 4r TOP/V5 Y 3,338,776 GARMENT HAVING RESTRICTED STRETCH Ronald Leonard Blair, 2650 W. Belden Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60647 Filed Mar. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 351,458 2 Claims. (Cl. 161-64) This invention relates to a process or method for providing an elastic fabric with means for controlling the stretch of the fabric, and to a product formed by such process.

Another object of this invention is to provide a product, such as a material, formed by the process, which material is of an elastic nature but which is provided with'builtin means to restrict and control the stretch of the fabric in areas desired.

Another object of this invention is to provide an undergarment formed by the fabric or material produced in accordance with this invention, which undergarment has a resilient stretchable material but is provided with means for restricting the stretch in whatever areas desired and thereby providing an undergarment formed of a fabric having elastic properties and non-elastic properties in the areas desired.

In the manufacture of undergarments, more particularly panties, girdles and/ or corselets, an elastic fabric is used to provide for the stretching qualities. However, in such garments it is necessary that certain portions of the garment have full stretch while other portions have restricted or limited stretch or a non-stretch area, and to accomplish this it has been necessary to sew certain panelling to the elastic fabric to limit or restrict the stretchability or the elasticity thereof. This is a rather expensive procedure and adds considerably to the cost of the undergarment.

With the present invention the foregoing objection is eliminated in that the elastic fabric may be processed in accordance with this invention so that the elastic fabric is provided with an integral or built-in means for restricting the elasticity of the fabric in the areas where it is applied. The built-in quality of the means for restricting the elasticity can be controlled so that the area over which the built-in means extends can be thoroughly nonelastic or have a certain degree of elasticity. Thus, the elasticity can be controlled to the extent desired. Also, the means may be integrated with the elastic fabric in such a manner that elastic and non-elastic areas are provided.

Another object of this invention is to provide an elastic fabric with a built-in non-elastic or controlled area.

Another object of this invention is to providea product which includes an elastic fabric which is flocked to provide elastic and non-elastic areas, and which flocking also forms an attractive design which enhances the appearance of the fabric and the resultant product formed from said fabric.

Another object of this invention is to provide an undergarment of elastic material which is flocked so that the flocking forms the non-stretchable or the restricted stretchable areas of the elastic fabric and of the undergarment and simultaneously forms and enhances the appearance of the elastic fabric and the undergrment.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

United States Patent FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a flocked fabric which would be used to form an undergarment, for example, a panty, showing the flocking applied to the elastic material to provide the restricted or non-stretchable areas thereof.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on lines 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the undergarment formed from the material shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the said undergarment, and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on lines 5-5 of FIG. 4.

The process or method of forming the fabric will now be described.

The elastic fabric designated by the numeral 10 is an elastic fabric material which has a two-way stretch and is of a nylon-lycra spandex power-net material available on the market. The power-net elastic fabric 10 is first cut to the desired shape and size. For example, if it is to be an undergarment such as a panty, as illustrated, the fabric is cut to the panty shape and size, as is well understood in the art. The cut fabric is placed on a sheet of plain white paper. A silk screen containing the particular design that is to be flocked on the fabric is placed over the fabric. The desired design, as for example in the illustration, would be represented by the flocked material. A specially prepared adhesive, hereinafter described, is placed on the silk screen and forced through the screen by a heavy duty squeegee, after which the silk screen is removed. By this procedure the adhesive is transferred to the fabric and the pattern or design of the adhesive layer would be thus formed on the fabric through the silk screen.

As is understood, the silk screen consists of a silk fabric mounted on a frame. The open mesh of the screen is the portion through which the adhesive passes. The layer of adhesive which adheres to the elastic fabric 10 is therefore in the pattern or design of the open mesh of the screen. It is to this layer of adhesive that the material is flocked, consequently, the pattern or the adhesive layer in the final analysis forms the flocked portions.

The elastic fabric with the adhesive pattern applied thereto is then placed on a vibrating table on which has been placed an even layer of .03" humidified rayon flock.

Another layer of flock is placed on top of the elastic net fabric 10. During the vibrating operation the fabric and the flock material on the vibrating table will be vibrated and this will cause the rayon flock to position itself on to the adhesive pattern on the elastic fabric. The fabric is removed from the vibrating table and is then subjected to a steam bath for about seven or eight minutes.

The steam bath may be performed in a room or a compartment into which steam is introduced and the fabric is held in a vertical position in the steam bath for the period mentioned. The steam bath is maintained at a temperature of F., plus or minus 10 F., and a relative humidity of 50%, plus or minus 10%. This steaming procedure will step up the curing process wherein the flocked material adheres or becomes integrated with the elastic fabric. During the steam process the loose flocking material on the fabric, namely, the flocking which does not adhere or is not on the adhesive surface will be caused to become dislodged from the fabric and become separated therefrom, so that only that portion of the flocking material on the adhesive surface remains attached and integrated to the fabric. The curing action is in allowing the flocking material to adhere to the adhesive. The loose flock will drop off. After steaming operation the fabric and the flocked material is allowed to air dry by ordinary atmosphere for about fifteen minutes. After this period the material is ready for use.

During the vibrating of the material, as aforesaid, the rayon flock, generally indicated by the numeral 12, will be caused to pass through the knit fabric and adhere to both sides of the fabric. Thus, the rayon flock 12 in the finished product extends through the netting of the fabric 10, as best shown in FIG. 2, and extends and appears on the opposite sides or surfaces of the fabric material.

The adhesive used in this process is prepared as follows. The ingredients or parts are by weight. The adhesive is a polymeric acrylic adhesive prepared by mixing polymers and copolymers of acrylic resins, ammonium chloride and a methocel solution. More specifically, the ingredients of the polymeric adhesive are combined as now described. In a suitable vessel of ceramic, glass, or stainless steel, the following ingredients are combined: 600 parts Rhoplex Ha-16, 400 parts Rhoplex E-32 (water emulsion polymers and c-opoly-mers of acrylic resins manufactured and sold by Rohm & Haas), 26 parts 25% ammonium chloride, 265 parts 4% methocel solution. The adhesive may be applied to the fabric as previously set forth and then cured at a temperature of 185 F. for a period of ten minutes.

The portion of the fabric covered by the rayon flock is less elastic than the uncovered elastic portion. The degree of elasticity of the elastic material may be controlled by the thickness or heaviness of the flocked portion. By using a lighter coating of adhesive on the elastic fabric the pile created by the flocking material will be deeper, and conversely, by using a heavier coating of adhesive the pile due to the flocking material will be lighter. If a heavier flocked material is adhesively integrated with the elastic material, the elasticity is reduced. In other words, heavier flocking causes the elasticity to be reduced or eliminated or restricted over the area over which it extends. If some elasticity is desired then a thinner flocking is used. Thus, even as to the portion covered with a flocked material, the elasticity of the fabric may be controlled. Therefore, it will be seen that in that portion of the elastic fabric which is covered with the flocked material the elasticity is either reduced or eliminated, whereas that portion of elastic fabric which is not covered with a flocked material maintains its original or initial elasticity. Specifically with respect to the figures of the drawing, the flocked portions indicated by the darkened areas will be the restricted elastic portions, by which is meant either a limited elasticity or a non-elastic portion, in contrast to the other portions of the fabric which are elastic and which have no flocking material thereon.

This invention is particularly adaptable in the manufacture of panties, girdles and/or corselets in that in such undergarments it is desirable to have certain areas of elasticity and certain other areas of less elasticity or no elasticity. With this arrangement, by varying the pattern of flocking, elastic and non-elastic portions of the fabric are formed and are integrated with the fabric so that it is unnecessary to sew or stitch to such fabric additional panels for accomplishing this purpose. For example, an undergarment such as a panty may be provided with a flocked pattern such as shown in the drawings and indicated by the darkened portions; the darkened portions represent the rayon flock 12 integrated with the fabric 10. In an undergarment of this character it is highly desirable that the portion of the undergarment which embraces the stomach area have a limited elasticity, consequently, the front portion 14 of the undergarment is provided with three relatively large central flocked portions, indicated by the numerals 16, 18 and 20, which form the nonstretchable portions. These portions extend from the waistline to the crotch, separated by unflocked or stretchable areas indicated by the numerals 22 and 24. Radiating from the central non-stretchable areas are lines of spaced smaller flocked portions, each of said smaller flocked portions being in the shape of a chevron and indicated by the numeral 26. The chevrons 26 are spaced slightly from each other by spaces 27 and extend in spaced parallel line arrangement from the stomach portions outwardly, both in an upward and downward arrangement on the fabric, as shown in FIG. 1, and indicated by the numerals 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 and 42, when said fabric is stitched together along its ends to form the panty. The front of the panty is as shown in FIG. 3; the rear of the panty is shown in FIG. 4. The lines of chevrons continue from front to rear to provide the rear of the panty with the restricted or non-stretchable areas below the seat portion, as shown by the darkened chevron areas in FIG. 4. The upper pairs of lines of chevrons 28, 30, 32 and 34 extending to the rear lead to two flocked non-stretchable areas 44 and 46 extending from the rear downwardly. The arrangement of the spaced flocked chevrons provides areas in the fabric which are non-stretchable by virtue of the flocked chevron 26', whereas the non-flocked spaces 27 between the chevrons are stretchable, thereby providing a controlled area which is stretchable to the extent desired.

By varying the particular pattern of flocking an elastic material may be provided with elastic and non-elastic sections or areas in any desired arrangement, it being understood that the flocking, as aforesaid, does restrict the elasticity of the material of that portion to which it adheres but does not affect the elasticity of the unflocked portion. The material thus formed is washable, very decorative, and is non-toxic.

While this invention is best employed in the manufacture of undergarments, as aforesaid, it also has an adaptability to swim suits and other products of like character. With this invention the material will still maintain its flexibility but has the controlled or limited elastic portions, as even those portions covered by the flocking are never rigid but are flexible so that the initial flexibility of the fabric material is not affected to any extent.

Aside from the control of the elastic material by reason of the particular pattern of flocking, the flocked material provides an attractive and ornamental design to the fabric, thus enhancing the appearance of the fabric and the finished product. With the present invention the integrated fabric may be furnished to a manufacturer of undergarments who could manufacture the undergarment without the necessity of sewing panels or making section insertions in the elastic fabric for the purpose of reducing the elasticity of certain portions of the undergarment. Thus, the flocked elastic fabric made in accordance with this invention provides a great savings in the construction of the resultant product, particularly when it is used in an undergarment as aforesaid.

It will be understood that while a specific flocking process is described, that other flocking processes may be used, such as, for example, where the adhesive is secured to the fabric and a flocking material is sprayed to the adhesive portions for securement, or any other method of like character.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An undergarment of elastic two-way stretch material, said undergarment having at least one predetermined area which is substantially inelastic, said area comprising a coating of an adhesive substantially non-elastic in character having in its entirety substantially lower elasticity than the elasticity of said stretch material on each side of said material and a layer of flock material adhered to each of said coatings wherein said composite coatings and layers are substantially in reg'ster on the opposite sides of said material and wherein the adhesive material and the relative thicknesses of adhesive and flock 2,106,132 1/193'8 Feinbloom 117-16 X material determine the inelasticity of said area as com- 2 135 901 11 1933 pared with the elasticity of the two-Way stretch material 2801 947 8/1957 Winchester et a1 117 33 X Without said coatings and layers. nn

2. An undergarment as set forth in claim 1 wherein said 5 3124137 3/1964 Bradd 128-580 X adhesive coating is an acrylic resin. 3,133,543 5/1964 Bradd 128-580 References Cited JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. UNITED STATES PATENTS A. R. GUEST, Assistant Examiner. 998,952 7/1911 Boone 117-2s 10 1,521,363 12/1924 Flick 117'25 

1. AN UNDERGARMENT OF ELASTIC TWO-WAY STRETCH MATERIAL, SAID UNDERGARMENT HAVING AT LEAST ONE PREDETERMINED AREA WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY INELASTIC, SAID AREA COMPRISING A COATING OF AN ADHESIVE SUBSTANTIALLY NON-ELASTIC IN CHARACTER HAVING IN ITS ENTIRETY SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER ELASTICITY THAN THE ELASTICITY OF SAID STRETCH MATERIAL ON EACH SIDE OF SAID MATERIAL AND A LAYER OF FLOCK MATERIAL ADHERED TO EACH OF SAID COATINGS WHEREIN SAID COMPOSITE COATINGS AND LAYERS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY IN REGISTER ON THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID MATERIAL AND WHEREIN THE ADHESIVE 